Women who experience sexism on a consistent basis, especially at work, can experience more psychological distress and anxiety at the office as a result.
However, men who hold sexist beliefs also experience more psychological problems, according to new research in the Journal of Counseling Psychology.
"In general, individuals who conformed strongly to masculine norms tended to have poorer mental health and less favorable attitudes toward seeking psychological help, although the results differed depending on specific types of masculine norms," lead author Y. Joel Wong, PhD, of Indiana University Bloomington, told Science Daily.
The sexist and hyper-masculine beliefs these men have could be a symptom of toxic masculinity, or society's traditional gendered ideas about how men are supposed to behave compared to women.
Men, you are allowed to cry when sad, hurt, or happy.
Free yourself from #ToxicMasculinity.
— Odysseus_on_Ogygia (@ODeeCS) November 20, 2016
Researchers analyzed data about mental health and sexism from 19,453 study participants. Most of the men in the study were white and straight. They focused on 11 points of criteria to define "traditional masculinity."
Here's the list from Science Daily:
desire to win
need for emotional control
risk-taking
violence
dominance
playboy (sexual promiscuity)
self-reliance
primacy of work (importance placed on one's job)
power over women
disdain for homosexuality
pursuit of status
The men who adhered the most to these points were more likely to suffer from stress, depression, negative body image, and substance abuse, according to The Washington Post.
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